"I pretty much knew what had to happen," Gardner said of Michigan's 43-40 four-overtime loss at Penn State on Saturday. "We weren't getting yards on first down, we weren't running the ball well.

"But it's like I always say. If you need me to run, I'll do it. If you don't, like a few weeks ago (against Minnesota), we won't."

Gardner had a Denard Robinson-like stat line during the loss at Penn State. Setting career highs in carries (24) and yards (121).

Throughout the week, both Hoke and Borges have both insisted that they don't want Gardner carrying the ball that much week-to-week. Meaning, they don't want to switch Michigan's offense back to a spread-based system if they can help it.

As for Gardner? He says he's fine either way. It's all the same.

"I'm actually pretty beat up after every game, it feels pretty much the same," Gardner said. "I feel like, if you're not beat up after a game, you probably didn't play that hard."

Outside of running the ball with consistency last week, Gardner's second half performance was full of the on-the-fly pass plays fans got used to seeing late in the 2012 season.

The same situations Gardner found himself in earlier this year against Notre Dame, which was -- to date -- his best hour as a college starting quarterback.

He still threw two interceptions in the first half that directly led to Penn State touchdowns, and he still wasn't perfect with all his decisions.

But Borges insists Gardner -- who went 15 of 28 for 240 yards and three touchdowns -- is making strides.

"The thing I was really impressed with was Devin Gardner," Borges said. "Devin’s footwork has jumped a quantum leap in two weeks. After getting a couple balls intercepted in the first half and having a fumble that really wasn’t his fault at all – he got blindsided – he recovered and showed composure throughout the football game.

"At no time was I in any doubt that he could not bring us back, and he proved me right.”

As far as the rest of the offense is concerned, Gardner says he continues to do his best to massage the confidence of Michigan's struggling offensive line.

Gardner believes his front five is giving their best effort, regardless of results, day in and day out -- and that's all he can ask for.

As for the running backs, he says he still has faith in Fitz Toussaint -- who went for 27 yards on 27 carries Saturday -- and Derrick Green to get things started on the ground.

But, if they don't?

Well, he's ready to help there, too.

"It's important to get the running game going," Gardner said. "But, whether it's me, or Fitz Toussaint, or Derrick Green or whoever ... we've got to start getting some yards on first down and establish a running game."